Q: What do you get when you cross a mosaic artist who has an interest in wordplay with a writer who has an art affinity?
A: Some very interesting Scrabble games, and a chair.
Yes, Lorraine Hoff Meade, my mosaic mentor, has also become my Scrabble mentor. This is no surprise to anyone who knows her. She leads the Richmond Scrabble Meet-up Group and has for some time made a signature of her mosaics that use Scrabble tiles. Trivets, mirrors, tables, small party items - you name it, she spells it. Er ... sells it. Some of the items do spell out words: "OMG I am my mother," says one mirror. Others are a scramble of Scrabble tiles, like the trivets (see photo) she is preparing for an upcoming show (Nov. 19-20 Northside Artists' Open Studio, Richmond's Sherwood Park neighborhood).
Lorraine is also a darn good Scrabble player, and although she's beating the pants off me in Lexulous, an online game similar to the Hasbro-pit-bull-protected board game, I'm learning to be a better player. Which comes in handy when you are a procrastinating writer and have access to the Hasbro-sanctioned Kindle version of Scrabble, playing against AI ("artificial intelligence").
Or when you're indulging a new love: making mosaics. Lorraine recently suggested a collaboration in which we'll cover the seat of an old chair with Scrabble tiles
A: Some very interesting Scrabble games, and a chair.
Yes, Lorraine Hoff Meade, my mosaic mentor, has also become my Scrabble mentor. This is no surprise to anyone who knows her. She leads the Richmond Scrabble Meet-up Group and has for some time made a signature of her mosaics that use Scrabble tiles. Trivets, mirrors, tables, small party items - you name it, she spells it. Er ... sells it. Some of the items do spell out words: "OMG I am my mother," says one mirror. Others are a scramble of Scrabble tiles, like the trivets (see photo) she is preparing for an upcoming show (Nov. 19-20 Northside Artists' Open Studio, Richmond's Sherwood Park neighborhood).
Lorraine is also a darn good Scrabble player, and although she's beating the pants off me in Lexulous, an online game similar to the Hasbro-pit-bull-protected board game, I'm learning to be a better player. Which comes in handy when you are a procrastinating writer and have access to the Hasbro-sanctioned Kindle version of Scrabble, playing against AI ("artificial intelligence").
Or when you're indulging a new love: making mosaics. Lorraine recently suggested a collaboration in which we'll cover the seat of an old chair with Scrabble tiles
that spell out sayings and statements related to chairs and sitting. She's counted out the tiles for each circular row (see photo), and we're tweaking the statements before we start on a mosaic. Someone's going to love this piece and want it for their library.
By the way, as we are using up a huge amount of Scrabble tiles lately in the name of art, Lorraine is in grave alphabetical need. Hasbro has blackballed her because art is "not a sanctioned use" of their tiles, so she depends on old games that might otherwise wind up in landfills. Support art and recycle at the same time by donating old games or tiles: Send them to her at Mosaique Creations, 320 Hull St., Studio 151, Richmond, VA 23224.
NANOWRIMO REPORT. We're only a few days into National Novel Writing Month, but I am encouraged by a good beginning. I'm remembering the joy of following my characters and being surprised about where they're leading me. My "outline" metamorphosizes by the minute. (Metamorphosis is worth 22 points, even without double or triple letters or words. And it's probably a bingo, so that's 50 more points.) OK, back to the writing!
By the way, as we are using up a huge amount of Scrabble tiles lately in the name of art, Lorraine is in grave alphabetical need. Hasbro has blackballed her because art is "not a sanctioned use" of their tiles, so she depends on old games that might otherwise wind up in landfills. Support art and recycle at the same time by donating old games or tiles: Send them to her at Mosaique Creations, 320 Hull St., Studio 151, Richmond, VA 23224.
NANOWRIMO REPORT. We're only a few days into National Novel Writing Month, but I am encouraged by a good beginning. I'm remembering the joy of following my characters and being surprised about where they're leading me. My "outline" metamorphosizes by the minute. (Metamorphosis is worth 22 points, even without double or triple letters or words. And it's probably a bingo, so that's 50 more points.) OK, back to the writing!
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